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JEAN-GEORGES announces he’s opening a green restaurant. Then $72 prix-fixe Rouge Tomate says it doesn’t have table cloths because they’re “green.” Now Greenhouse opens up, claiming to be New York City’s first green nightclub. Seriously – it’s got Brad Pitt’s fair-trade soap in its low-impact bathrooms. But a bottle of sustainable vodka still costs $375, while the nonsustainable stuff goes for as high as $70,000.

The club at 150 Varick St. in SoHo is the brainchild of Jon B., owner of bridge and tunnel magnets Home and Guest House. Jon says the idea for a green club came to him while sitting on a beach in Miami. “I was trying to think of a good club concept for the next generation,” he says. “I think green is cool. And if it’s not cool yet, it’s going to be cool.”

That was almost three years ago, and tonight Greenhouse finally opens its sustainable doors for the first time, in a soft launch planned for 10 p.m.

So how green is Greenhouse? Depends whom you ask.

The bilevel, 6,000-square-foot space is the first nightlife destination in New York to seek LEED certification, the official stamp of approval from the US Green Building Council. That means that everything from building materials and garbage disposal, energy and water usage, has to be regulated and reduced. With walls made of sustainable bamboo instead of wood and LED lightbulbs that use just one-thirtieth of the energy of regular incandescent bulbs, the space cost 40 percent more to build than a traditional club.

On the other hand, clubbers will still be downing beer and liquor shipped from all over the globe. Plastic straws and cocktail napkins will accompany every mixed drink. While the bottle-service menu will highlight $375 bottles of 360 Vodka, made in a green distillery and shipped in reusable bottles, it will also offer a $70,000 Perrier Jouet Fleur de Champagne, custom-made in France.

“A huge part of being green is being local,” points out Peter Shapiro, co-owner of Brooklyn Bowl, a green bowling alley opening next year. “A big part of that is not buying beer or liquor from halfway around the world. With our drinks, we are making geography a major factor.”

Jon B. says he was very conscious of not diminishing the service experience by denying his customers their favorite booze brands, or a napkin to wipe their mouths. The goal is to let people party in a sustainable way, without them necessarily knowing or caring about green issues.

“You have to be careful of ‘greenwashing,’ ” says Margaret Lydecker, a sustainability consultant at VH1 and the founder of the monthly Green Drinks networking event.

“The real question is if they are reducing their overall carbon footprint and energy usage.”

Can hot club fight global warming?

WHILE Greenhouse’s efforts may be commendable, and even set a new standard for eco-partying, there is another side to every coin. Here are the nightclub’s green highlights, along with a primer of their unintended consequences.

* Walls are made of quick-growing bamboo, a far more sustainable resource than traditional wood lumber.

The bamboo is grown in China, meaning it must be shipped at least 8,000 miles to NYC.

* Waterless urinals and low-flow toilets make for a big reduction in water use, at least 15,000 gallons saved annually.

No water means no flushing, which, in a crowded nightclub bathroom, can lead to unpleasant sights and smells.

* Uniforms are sustainably made in Africa by Edun, a clothing company owned by eco-warrior Bono and his wife, Ali Hewson.

We will wait to see how the cocktail waitresses look in Edun before passing judgment on the clothes.

* Electricity for the thumping sound system and the rest of the club is said to be 100 percent wind-power generated.

Since there are no windmills on the roof, the club uses “renewable energy credits,” which means green power is created somewhere else in the country to replace the regular juice that powers the nightclub.

* The featured spirit is 360 Vodka, which comes in a reusable, recycled bottle.

We can’t imagine bottle-service bankers taking the empties home to use for their iced tea infusions.

* Greenhouse hopes to host weekly events with the hundreds of environmental nonprofits based around town.